The Return Of Knight Commander From Foundation Cigar
Foundation Cigar Co.’s limited-edition Knight Commander is returning for its third year, and like previous releases, all proceeds from its sale will go to charity. Retailers should start receiving the cigars this week.
Knight Commander comes in one size, a double-tapered Perfecto measuring 6 3/4 inches by 52 ring gauge. With its Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, Mexican San Andrés binder and Nicaraguan fillers from Estelí and Jalapa, the blend is based on Foundation’s core Tabernacle line, but brand owner Nicholas Melillo says that Knight Commanders have a difference, and spend an additional 15 months aging in cedar after rolling.
The cigars are made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez and retail for $40 each, or $480 per 12-count box.
The funds raised by the sale of Knight Commander go to the Royal Ethiopian Trust (RET), a nonprofit organization that supports educational scholarships, cultural restoration projects and community development initiatives across Ethiopia. Why Ethiopia? Melillo has a personal connection to the country. The Ethiopian Crown Council dubbed Melillo Knight Commander of The Ethiopian Star of Honor. Established by Emperor Menelik II in 1889, the title acknowledges extraordinary service to the country.
“The day I received the Knight Commander distinction remains one of the great honors of my life,” Melillo says. “Ethiopia has given so much to the world—from its ancient Christian heritage to its cultural brilliance—and giving back in a tangible way is part of my responsibility and commitment. The Knight Commander cigar is a tribute not only to that history but to the people working every day to preserve it.”
Only 750 boxes are being produced and, according to Melillo, they all sell out very quickly.
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